Don't orient your children according to 'which career is richer'

Professor Phan Van Truong (front row, fourth from the left) at the seminar " Education in the New Era" with 10th grade students and parents of Le Quy Don High School on August 30 - Photo: MY DUNG

During a talk with students and parents welcoming 10th-grade students for the 2024-2025 school year at Le Quy Don High School, Ho Chi Minh City, on the evening of August 30th, Professor Phan Van Truong - permanent advisor to the French Government on international trade since the 1990s, had an exchange with Tuoi Tre Online .

According to Professor Phan Van Truong, the current problem is that parents are guiding their children in career choices by comparing different professions, seeing which one is the "best" and which one earns more money.

The professor, who was awarded the Medal for the Cause of Education by the President of Vietnam (in 2010), emphasized that guiding children to choose careers in this way is wrong and that they will find it difficult to succeed in their work and life later on.

Because of the belief that one profession is more lucrative than another, parents often choose subjects for their children (at the high school level according to the 2018 curriculum) based on such career "orientation." This leads to children studying without enjoyment, passion, or inspiration, causing them to struggle in their future careers.

"It's not true that doctors will earn more money than engineers. It's not true that lawyers will earn more money than teachers… All those kinds of comparisons are biased views in today's age."

"Choosing a career or field of study for children should be based on their passions and interests," Professor Phan Van Truong emphasized.

According to Professor Phan Van Truong, the mindset of choosing a career based solely on academic qualifications is outdated, and parents need to change this soon. This is because, nowadays, a person's salary and income from their work are not solely determined by their academic qualifications or the title of their profession.

"A person might have a passion and talent for singing, but not a desire to become a doctor. However, their parents force them to study medicine, believing that being a doctor is the best and most rewarding path. Later, if that child studies medicine according to their parents' wishes and becomes a bad doctor, it will be far worse than if they had pursued their passion for singing."

"When a profession is a passion or a hobby for an individual, that person will learn throughout their life, making them more likely to succeed in their chosen career," Professor Truong explained.

Therefore, he advises parents to help their children discover their interests and passions and encourage them to pursue those paths. The path of passion in work and career is the path that leads to bright horizons for the child's future.

Many parents have misconceptions about career guidance for their children.

Speaking with students and parents in various locations, Professor Phan Van Truong stated that many parents today misunderstand the future career guidance for their children. The reason is that they worry too much about their children, sometimes doing too much for them, leaving no room for students to be independent, learn on their own, think for themselves, and "do what they like."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-nen-dinh-huong-cho-con-theo-kieu-nghe-nao-giau-hon-20240831114439209.htm